To get straight to the point: Aarhus is a great city! After Copenhagen, Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark. Yet Copenhagen is still the number one choice for a city trip. Even though Aarhus is so much fun. There is a lot to do, the city is smaller and therefore cozier than Copenhagen, and there is also plenty to see in the surrounding area. During my 3-week train journey through Danish Jutland, I stayed in Aarhus for 4 nights. And it was such a nice city. In this article you will find all my best tips for a great city trip in this fairly unknown city.
Table of contents
Copenhagen or Aarhus?
But first some information. As mentioned, after Copenhagen, Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark. Almost 700,000 people live in the Danish capital Copenhagen, and more than 300,000 in Aarhus. Copenhagen is located in the far east of Denmark, Aarhus is on the other side in Jutland.
Copenhagen is of course a well-known international city with a lot of tourism, and that is different in Aarhus. I have been to both cities and Aarhus is much more relaxed. Of course, there are also tourists here, but clearly much fewer than in Copenhagen.
The capital really feels like a metropolis, while Aarhus feels more like a cozy little town. Everything can be done on foot, it is extremely easy to walk through the entire city. Smaller, therefore, but very nice.
Personally, I think Aarhus is more fun than Copenhagen, although I really liked that city too. But I prefer that more relaxed atmosphere, easily moving through the city and all those small, nice shops, streets and eateries together. That sociability is worth its weight in gold. And you can find that in Aarhus.
How many days do you need for Aarhus?
If you’re quick, you can see a lot in 2 full days. I myself was there for 4 nights, which is 3.5 days. I wouldn’t have been able to see nearly as much in less time. I myself also like to stay in one place a little longer, and I thought that was definitely worth it in Aarhus.
What is the best time to travel for a city trip to Aarhus?
As far as I’m concerned, there is no best time to travel in Denmark: you can visit the country all year round. I would say that the best time to travel depends on your own wishes. What would you like? Would you like to be outside in the summer for a long time? People-watching on terraces until late? Being a little warm? Or do you like being there during the Christmas period? The cosiness and warmth of the dark days and the many lights. All the Christmas festivities in the city. Or are you hoping for snow in January or February?
I myself consciously chose to go to Aarhus at the beginning of December, because I love the cold and the cosiness. The lights, the Christmas atmosphere… I can’t get enough of it.
It can always rain in Denmark, whether it is summer or winter. So your best time to travel to Aarhus depends more on whether you like warmth or cold. Long days with lots of light or cozy dark days. The summer vibe or Christmas atmosphere. I think you get my point…
How to get in Aarhus?
I visited Aarhus myself during a 3-week train journey through Denmark, travelling from the Netherlands. You can easily reach Aarhus by train from pretty much anywhere in Denmark. I arrived there from the north via Aalborg, and from the south via Vejle. After Aarhus, I continued my journey by train through South Jutland to Ribe.
Check your route and buy your ticket with the DSB App (Android and Apple). If you’re coming from the Netherlands, it’s nice to make a stopover in Vejle, as there is a very special hotel there. Plus, the town itself is just lovely.
You can also get to Aarhus by plane. KLM, among others, offers direct flights between Amsterdam and Aarhus. Check Google Flights for options from your location.
Where to stay in Aarhus?
You can stay in Aarhus in the center, just outside, or completely outside the city. There are many nice hotels in Aarhus. For example, if you are traveling with a camper or want to stay at a campsite. I myself stayed in an AirBnB room in the middle of the center, a few minutes’ walk from the central station. This allowed me to discover the entire city on foot. And it’s also just incredibly fun to be in the middle of that urban life.
But it can also be different. The train and bus connections in Denmark are extremely good, and that is no different in Aarhus. So you can also easily find a hotel or AirBnB just outside the city and travel into the city by bus or train.
There are also plenty of parking spaces (not cheap) if you pitch your tent or caravan somewhere outside the city in nature.
Here you will find the best hotels in Aarhus, and I stayed in this AirBnB myself.
Is Aarhus an expensive city trip?
Yes, Aarhus is expensive. Like the rest of Denmark. Although it naturally depends very much on what you do and what you spend your money on. For example, you have expensive hotels, but also cheaper hostels or you can stay in a room in an AirBnB. You can eat out twice a day, or cook yourself and make your own sandwiches.
The costs of a city trip to Aarhus also depend on whether you are traveling alone (like me) or with two people. After all, with two people you pay half of a hotel room than when you travel alone.
Which costs are the same for everyone are the museums in Aarhus. And they are expensive. Think of about 20 euros per museum per person. And den Gamle By (see below) even costs almost 30 euros per person. So that adds up considerably if you like museums.
Eating out is also expensive. For a lunch of a simple sandwich and a cup of tea you quickly pay 12 euros. If you go out for dinner in the evening, you will of course spend more. I myself made my own food everywhere in Denmark. Except for the occasional lunch. This literally saved me hundreds of euros…
I paid 74 euros per night for my AirBnB. Including (shared) kitchen and bathroom.
Aarhus is expensive, but the final costs depend entirely on what you do during your city trip.
Sights | 13 things to do and see in Aarhus
There is so much to do in Aarhus that you definitely won’t get bored. Read my top tips here. If you don’t have much time but still want to see the city’s highlights, a guided walking tour is a great idea. For example, take a look at this walking tour in Aarhus.
1. Den Gamle By
Den Gamle By (the old city) is a fantastically beautiful open-air museum. You walk through 400 years of Danish history, as it were. From a street from 2000 to 2014 with shops and a shopping center, via 1974, to the 1920s with typical cars, street lamps and advertising. And then all the way back to the years 1600 – 1900, the old market town with craftsmen and historic houses.
Wander through the historic streets and view the houses from the inside. You will find something behind every door. A baker with the tastiest sandwiches and other delicacies, living rooms or complete museums. It’s like going back in time, very special.
Are you coming during the Christmas period? Then it is extra cozy in Den Gamle By. Then there are museums specifically focused on Christmas, Christmas shops, Christmas food and cozy Christmas lights.
Take your time for this museum, because it is large. I’ve been there for more than 6 hours and I really needed that. I have been inside everywhere, if you don’t do that it can also be shorter of course. But if you want to see everything, you can easily set aside a day for it.
Learn more
- Den Gamble By website
- Prices and opening hours (prices are between 20 and 29 euros, depending on the month you go)
- Restaurants
- Location on the map
2. ARoS
ARoS is the most important art museum in Aarhus with the largest art collection outside Copenhagen. A museum with a special touch, because in addition to mainly Danish art from the 18th century to the present, you will also find two things that you really must see. Namely the 4.5 meter high sculpture ‘Boy’, made by Ron Mueck. Very special.
And of course the Rainbow Panorama. On top of ARoS you literally walk through a rainbow: a round glass walkway 150 meters long and 3 meters wide, made up of all the colors of the spectrum. It floats 3.5 meters above the roof, with a special view. As you walk around, the view changes with you. You look out over the city and the bay, but each time through a different color. You can find a great video in my pinned Instagram stories ‘Denmark’.
Learn more
3. Moesgaard Museum
Half an hour by bus from the center of Aarhus to the south, you will find the Moesgaard Museum. Located in the middle of nature with beautiful views and hiking trails. The museum is a sight in itself from the outside, as it runs upwards from the ground. You can also walk on the roof and enjoy a beautiful view.
The Moesgaard Museum is an archaeological and anthropological museum where you can experience humans up close through time. You walk through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. A particularly beautifully designed and informative museum, which you will not get bored of.
Take the time to view the Moesgaard Museum, I needed 4 hours myself.
Learn more
- Moesgaard Museum website
- Opening hours and more practical information
- Prices
- You can get there by bus 18 from Aarhus, which departs along Park Allé in the center.
- Location on the map
- There is a nice restaurant where you can eat well
4. Aarhus Ø
Aarhus Ø is the still fairly new port district of Aarhus. Very different from the city center, this is a modern district on the water, full of striking architecture, quays to walk along and cozy places to eat and drink.
You will find a number of iconic buildings and interesting places to visit:
- Isbjerget / The Iceberg. A landmark and apartment complex on the quay as part of the transformation of the old port area into a new urban district. Find Isbjerget here on the map.
- Lighthouse. The highest building in Denmark (142 meters) and the pride of Aarhus Ø. At the top you will find a viewpoint (see point 5), a restaurant and you can visit a small museum.
- Havnebadet (Basin 7). A floating bath with, among other things, a 50-meter pool, diving area, children’s pools and saunas. Here on the map.
- Walking path. At the Havnebadet you will find a nice walking path with cozy wooden eating and drinking establishments. Such as Vesterlauget Ø, where I sat for a while myself.
- Dokk1. Just next to Aarhus Ø you will find Dokk1, a cultural center and the large central library of Aarhus.
5. Aarhus Øje: 142 meter high view from the Lighthouse in Aarhus Ø
Despite my fear of heights, I took the elevator to the top of the 142-meter high Lighthouse building. The highest building in Denmark and the eye-catcher of Aarhus Ø.
The building was designed by the Danish architectural firm 3XN and was internationally awarded as world’s best tall building in October 2023.
Almost half of the building is glass (46%), there are 2,512 doors in it, and it stands on approximately 1,700 poles (including 28 concrete poles up to 70 meters deep).
And you can also go in, namely to Aarhus Øje (Aarhus Eye). The viewpoint high above the city and a small museum underground. You have to pay about 20 euros for that view, but then you also get something. It was a bit scary, especially with so much wind, but the view is fantastic!
Learn more
6. Salling Skywalk
In the cozy shopping street Sondergade in the center of Aarhus you will find the Salling shopping center. Walk inside and take the elevator or escalator to the top, where you will find the Salling Skywalk.
A small walking route on top of the shopping center. From here you have a beautiful view over Aarhus and the shopping streets. You can also have a drink or eat something (there is a restaurant), or just sit with a book. Not to be missed!
7. The cozy Latin Quarter
The Latin Quarter (Latinerkvarteret) in Aarhus is the oldest and perhaps the coziest part of Aarhus: a maze of narrow streets full of small (design) shops, coffee shops and cozy restaurants. The district was created from the end of the 14th century, after the city received permission to demolish the old Viking defenses.
In the middle of the Latin Quarter you will find the cathedral, a Gothic church from the 12th century. And don’t forget Pustervig Torv: a small, cozy square where you can relax.
Wander through the colorful, cozy streets to discover the Latin Quarter. Think of streets such as Klostergade, Graven, Mejlgade, Badstuegade, Studsgade, Volden, Borggade and Rosensgade.
You can find the Latin Quarter here on the map.
8. The colored street Møllestien
Møllestien is perhaps the most fairytale-like street in Aarhus. A short, paved alley in the middle of the center, with small houses, hollyhocks and climbing roses against the facades.
Møllestien street is dated to the early Middle Ages. Although many houses date from the 18th century, the typical small houses that still stand there today were largely (re)built between 1870 and 1885, probably over older buildings from the 1600s and 1700s. You not only walk past the most beautiful colorful houses, but you also take a step into history.
Don’t expect a huge street or neighborhood, you’ll be through it in no time. The street is only 240 meters long. Perfect for strolling through on the way to one of the other sights.
You can find Møllestien here on the map.
9. Street art in Aarhus
Don’t forget to look up in Aarhus when you walk around. You will find the most beautiful murals in various places in the city. Including one in Møllestien street. If you search for ‘murals Aarhus’ or ‘Street Art Aarhus’ in Google Maps, you will find a number of them.
10. The Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden (Botanisk Have) in Aarhus is a nice, quiet green oasis near the center, right next to Den Gamle By. You can take a nice walk or just sit on the grass with a blanket for a picnic (in the spring and summer).
The main attraction is the Væksthusene (also called ‘Tropical Houses’): an enormous greenhouse where you walk through four climate zones with plant collections from all over the world.
I visited the gardens in the winter, and I thought the greenhouses were really beautiful. Immediately wonderful to warm up for a while. In the spring and summer it will be very beautiful outside, when the flowers are in bloom. You can also walk through the park and if you walk inside you will find a nice restaurant to eat or drink something.
Learn more
11. Aarhus Street Food
Aarhus Street Food market is a large hall with various stalls where you can order food and drinks. You’ll find all sorts of small kitchens there, from Italian to Arabic to Danish. Plenty of choice in any case. You order your food and eat it at one of the many tables there. Here you can eat tasty, affordable, fast and easy food. And it’s also very cozy.
You can find Aarhus Street Food here on the map, right next to the rutebilstation (the bus station).
It is open every day from 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM, except for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. You can find the current opening hours here.
12. Take a workshop
At Create Aarhus you can make your own candles or paint ceramics. I would have loved to do this, but unfortunately I didn’t have time for it.
You can also make your own jewelry at the Smykbar, such as a bracelet, earrings or a necklace. The Smykbar is very nice and located throughout the country. I made a necklace here myself. Not in Aarhus, but in Vejle. There is exactly the same one in Aarhus. You can sit there comfortably, have a drink and eat a pastry while you make your own jewelry.
13. The infinity bridge
The infinity bridge is a well-known attraction in Aarhus. I haven’t been here myself, because it is closed during the winter months. If you come in the summer, be sure to take a walk over the bridge that never ends.
The Infinity Bridge is called Den Uendelige Bro in Danish: a round, wooden pier where you keep walking in a circle, with a 360° view over Aarhus Bay, the beach and the forest behind it.
You will find the Infinity Bridge on the coast at Varna and Ballehage Strand, just south of the center. Here on the map.
The bridge is not always there, only from April to October. I can’t find the exact dates, so check Google Maps beforehand to see if it is open or not.
Christmas markets in Aarhus
If you come between mid-November and Christmas, you can enjoy the Christmas month. Christmas markets in Denmark are not as big and massive as in Germany, but that is precisely what makes them so beautiful.
In the beautiful building Ridehuset you will find a small but cozy Christmas market where literally everything is handmade. The opening hours are on the outside of the building. It was open every day except Monday until 5 p.m. And also the open-air museum Den Gamle By is all about Christmas during this period. There are cute Christmas shops and there are several historical museums about Christmas.
And then the terrace on top of the Salling shopping center, which in December is transformed into a magical spectacle of Christmas trees, lights and music. As far as I’m concerned, this is a great time to visit Aarhus and enjoy that typical Danish Christmas atmosphere. You can find the Salling Skywalk here. Also nice if it’s not Christmas, because you have a beautiful view!
The surroundings of Aarhus
Are you only going to Aarhus and not visiting other places in Denmark? Then you could also choose to stay a bit longer and take day trips outside the city. Think hiking in Mols Bjerge National Park and visiting the colorful town of Ebeltoft. Totally doable if you leave early (though staying overnight is even more fun!). More about these destinations soon!
With bus 123 from the Rutebilstation in Aarhus you can reach both Mols Bjerge and Ebeltoft. You can easily buy a bus ticket with the app Rejsebillet. Search on Google Maps where you want to get off and buy a ticket there, it’s very easy.
Take a city trip to Aarhus and discover Denmark
I am happy that I added Aarhus to my tour of Jutland. This is now my favorite city in Denmark and I certainly hope to come back again!
